In a show of solidarity for the National Equality March, several rallies are being planned for the October 10-11th weekend. If you can’t make it to Washington, we encourage you to organize efforts in your local communities to demand full equality & join us in D.C in spirit. We all saw how within one week Join the Impact organized solidarity rallies against prop 8 in over 300 cities. We will have a text message campaign that will allow us to communicate together “live” throughout the weekend that will also be broadcast through Twitter. In addition, we will have a photo share program that will allow us around the globe to share pictures of all of our events instantly and posted on our website. We have also learned that CNN will be covering our event “live” as well so it should be a great weekend for all of us.
Marriage Equality USA has changed their annual coast-to-coast bridgewalk to October 11 to coincide with our march.
From San Francisco to New York, people will be marching for marriage equality and supporting those in D.C. marching for FULL equality in all 50 states.
Click to learn more about this solidarity effort.
Chicagoans unable to make it to Washington, D.C., for the National Equality March can take part in a solidarity rally at Daley Plaza that same day. LGBT Change is organizing the rally, which starts at 1 p.m. Oct. 11 under the Picasso statue.
Group co-founder Anthony Martinez said the idea for the local solidarity rally came after hearing Cleve Jones, a prominent gay rights activist portrayed by Emil Hirsch in the movie “Milk” and a strong supporter of the National Equality March, speak in Chicago about the importance of community and solidarity rallies.”We had heard from a lot of people, especially students and lower income families, who couldn’t make it to the march in D.C. and we thought this would be a great opportunity to provide for people,” said Martinez, 29, of Buena Park.
“I think it’s going to be a huge turning point in the LGBT community,” Martinez said of the march. “This is a way to get more people involved here in Chicago.”
Click to download their press release and click here to go to their website.
Seattle is organizing a solidarity event and they write, “like the march’s organizers, we feel that LGBT people are members of every race, class, faith and community. We see the struggle for LGBT equality as part of a larger movement for peace and social justice. We are organizing a solidarity march for LGBT equality in Seattle on October 11, 2009, and would love your support. We are asking interested groups and organizations to endorse the Seattle LGBT Equality Weekend events, including the Seattle Equality March, a series of community workshops on lgbt issues, a social event for youth and organizers, and an HIV/AIDS vigil. Details on the events are available at our website.
Whatever your sexual orientation or gender identity may be, the best way to ensure that all of our struggles for social and economic justice progress is to stand together in solidarity. As the old labor slogan so aptly expresses, “An Injury to One is an Injury to All.” This year, on the fortieth anniversary of the Stonewall Rebellion, on the thirtieth anniversary of the first LGBT March on Washington, on the ninetieth anniversary of the Seattle General Strike, and on the tenth anniversary of the Battle in Seattle, we are excited to build a grassroots movement for civil rights and equality for all, starting with approving Referendum 71 and keeping domestic partnerships legal. Please, plan to march with us in Seattle on October 11, 2009 at 2:00 pm.”
Click to view the Seattle solidarity rally planned for the National Equality March weekend.
In solidarity with people who need help coming out, and with those people who are out and are going to D.C. to represent us, the Stonewall Democrats of Denton County will hold an equality rally.
Join them in solidarity and equality. Stand on the four corners of the square and show all of Denton why you believe that LGBT rights are important and
why you came out!
This is a peaceful gathering and we do encourage participants to bring supportive signs that can be read by passing vehicles.
Sunday Oct 11 10am-12pm Courthouse on the Square, 110 W Hickory, Denton
PLEASE RSVP & invite friends on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=156150892045
The Pride Alliance Hawai`i’s are organizing the Honolulu Equality March next week Sunday, Oct. 11, 3:30 pm – 7:30 pm at the State Capitol. This event is to coincide with the National Equality March in Washington DC. Click to learn more about this event.
Los Angeles is holding a solidarity event on October 10 being held in San Fernando Valley sponsored by LA Valley Pride. Click to learn more.
Saturday – October 10 – 2009
7:00 PM – 8:30 PM
located at
STUDIO CITY HAND CAR WASH
11514 Ventura Blvd, Studio City
next to Oil Can Harry’s
Montana is organizing a solidarity event and from their facebook page they write, “rally on the Courthouse Lawn in solidarity with the National Equality March! 12-2pm on Oct. 11th. Come show your support for the rights of L.G.B.T.Q.Q.I. people, and full Equality for all Montanans! Though we are organizing in Missoula, this is not a Missoula Event! Rally at YOUR county courthouse! If you need help organizing contact us. Use our discussion board to coordinate by posting locations, related events, local contact info, etc. Our demand is full equality in all fifty states!”
Click to go to the Montana facebook page that is organizing this event.
Even in Visalia, California has a solidarity event planned for the National Equality March. From there facebook page they write, “while tens of thousands of people march on Washington for LGBT rights, we will be drawing together friends and supporters here in the Central Valley! Join us for a potluck brunch, conversation, and information about local groups working for all of our civil liberties.”
Click to go their facebook page.
We are seeing our allies in other countries also organizing rallies to support the National Equality March.
Canada is showing solidarity with an event planned in Toronto. Roger Chin was one of the main organizers of the Vancouver Prop 8 rallies in November 2008 and May 2009. He thinks that a Canadian-based event in support of the National Equality March would also remind Canadians to not take our rights and freedoms for granted. “It’s not good to assume. Rights have been taken away before,” says Chin, who suggests one need to look no further than Prop 8 to see how rights can be given and then taken back.
Chin suggests harnessing the power of the web to create action and organize, pointing to sites such as Jointheimpact.com. “I think last November’s worldwide [Prop 8] rallies were the first time the internet was used on such a scale to organize a grassroots movement,” says Chin. “The internet is a great way to access people from outside the gay ghettos. There are open-minded people who can’t voice their thoughts in suburbia and in rural areas.”
Click for details and they also have a facebook page.
And our allies in Copenhagen are also organizing an event to support the USA LGBT community. Their rally is planned to be held at the American Embassy. Click to learn more about the solidarity event being organized in Denmark and here to go to their facebook page.
Click to post your rally on a new on-line tool created to get and stay connected nationally as we fight for full equality.
Stay in touch throughout the march with our mobile messaging campaign. Text MARCH to 37686. Standard message and data charges may apply.
If you know of other events not posted on this page, please email us info@nationalequalitymarch.com
